Cape Clear Island

Cape Clear Island,
called Cléire or Oileán Chléire in Irish, is the most southerly
inhabited patch of land in Ireland. The hilly island is 3 miles or 5 km long and
looks a bit like a Scottish Terrier in profile, with a narrow neck behind the
head connecting the North and South Harbours. A passenger ferry takes 45 minutes
to cover the 9 miles or 14 km distance from Baltimore in County Cork.

Cape Clear's year-round population is less than 140 but grows to
several hundred during the summer, when Irish students from ages 11 to 18 attend
"Gaelic colleges"
where they can practice their Irish. (Cape Clear is a Gaeltacht island
where Irish is the primary language.) Irish courses are available to both youth
and adult groups, including teachers and corporate employees, at
Ionad Foghlama Chléire,
a.k.a. Cape Clear Island Language services.

Cape Clear also attracts walkers,
amateur birdwatchers, and the ornithologists who man the
Cape Clear Bird Observatory during spring and fall.

To find your way around the island, use Map 88 of Ordnance
Survey Ireland's Discovery Series and the free Island Heritage Map. The latter
shows the island's roads, walking paths, sights, accommodations, pubs, artisans'
workshops, and other places of interest. You might also consider buying a
book about Cape Clear Island
if you're interested in history, ornithology, or folk life.

Accommodations are limited, so book ahead, especially in summer.
Ciarán and Mary O'Driscoll offer comfortable
lodgings in the Cluain Mara Bed & Breakfast and the self-catering Cape Clear
Cottages next to their bar and restaurant, Ciarán Danny Mike's Pub. The
O'Driscolls' lodgings are just uphill from the ferry pier in the island's small
village; they have a Web site at
capeclearisland.com.

Another B&B,
Ard na Gaoithe,
is just uphill from the South Harbour, where you'll also find the
Cape Clear Island Hostel in
the old Coast Guard station and a hillside campground with a spectacular view,
Chléire Haven, which offers tipis
and fully-furnished Mongolian yurts along with the usual bring-your-own-tent
campsites.

If you live outside the
EU, a tax-free Renault
or Peugeot
tourist car lease can be cheaper than renting for visits of three
weeks or longer. Minimum driver age is 18, there' s no upper age
limit, and rates include insurance.